Old hobbits dry hard

Irish doc among team to link drought to disappearance of tiny human species

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AN IRISH researcher has helped to link the disappearance of the 'hobbit' species of human with severe drought - which possibly set the stage for contact with modern humans.

A team of scientists based in Australia and Indonesia including Dr Nick Scroxton of Maynooth University has uncovered evidence that a long period of dry weather triggered the abandonment of Liang Bua cave by Homo floresiensis.